Crane trolley



H- W. BALL CRANE TROLLEY Sept. 5, 1950 Filed May 11, 1948 3 Sheecs-Sheet 1 HARVEY w. BALL,

Sept.'5, 1950 H. w. BALL I 2,521,324

' cam: TROLLEY v Filed May 11, 194% s sheets -sheet 2 HARV-EY w. BALL,

H. W. BALL CRANE TROLLEY Spt. 5, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 11, 1948 FIG. 5

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Patented Sept. 5, 1950 Harvey W. Ball, Alliance, Ohio, assignor to The Morgan Engineering Company, Alliance,; Ohio,

a corporation o'fOhio. 2

Application May l1, 1948,

2 Claims. (01, 2125-20 This invention relates to improvements in crane trolleys or the like, and more particularly 'to trolleys used with a scarfing yard'crane.

A crane of this type has utility in handling slabs which have been rolled by a blooming or slabbing mill. from the slabbing mill run-out table by an overhead crane, and subsequently distributed in a so-called chipping or'scarfing yard, where the imperfections are either chipped or scarfed out of the slabs. this operation on both sides of the slabs, a magnet crane is employed to turn the slabs over so that both sides can be made available to the chippers and scarfers. When the slabs have been treated, the magnet crane picks them up and stacks them for removal to the continuous mill. As the treatment or processing in the chipping or scarfing yard is of a continuous nature, it will be readily appreciated that a fast operat-, ing crane should be employed.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide the trolley with improved means functioning as a counterweight for the lifting magnets or other lifting means of the trolley,

The slabs are usually removed.

As it may be necessary to perform the parts being so geared together that the counterweight moves upwardly when the magnets move downwardly, and vice versa, and the counterweight stem and rack are of such length relatively to the magnet stem and its rack that the latter travels approximately twice as far in either direction as the counterweight stem, in one revolution of the motor which controls the up and down movements of the magnets. In keeping with the invention, the counterweight with its stem,'and the magnet stem, together with its magnets, weigh about the same, but difference in leverage in the gearing, produces an unbalanced condition between the magnet and its stem and the counterweight and its stem, sufiicient to allow the magnet stem to travel the same distance as the magnet rack,

but this condition is undesirable as it would allow the counterweight stem to project down wardly and possibly engage materialv stored ,or stacked in the yard when the magnet stem is in the highest position. If the initial position erial No. 26,380

-.of thecounterweight stem was arranged higher on the trolley a top-heavy structure would be provided. 7

Accordingly, another object of my invention is to so proportion and arrange the gearing, stems and racks. as to make the counterweight rack travelabout /2 as far as the magnet rack, and to have the counterweight weigh approximatelythe same as the magnet stem and-rack with its magnets. As the slabs to be handled are not very heavy compared with the unbalanced weight of the two racks and their loads, the handling of the slabs, can be easily accomplished if the weight of the magnet rack is partly balanced by the counterweight rack. 1

In further explanation, if the counterweight, rack-and stem have a dead weight of'16,000 lbs, whichis the same as the dead weight of the magnets, rack and stem, and the counterweight rack moves only as farin one direction as the magnet rack does in the opposite direction, the balancing effect of the counterweight is cut in half,- so. that it exerts about 8,000 lbs., balancing .effortagainstthe 16,000 lbs. of the magnet.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic top planview of a crane bridge and the trolley which travels thereon, the bridge being mounted on portions of the bridge supporting tracks. i 1

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the same, andshowing a vertical section of aside wall of the yardin whichthe crane operates.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of essentialparts, mounted. on the trolley, for actuating the stems of the magnets and counterweight.

Fig. '4 is a side elevation of the trolley wit certain parts removed to facilitate illustration. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the trolley shown in Fig. l, and with the counterweight stem illustrated in horizontal section.-

Referring to the drawings, 6 designates. a side wallof a chipping or scarfing yard, andfia in dicates the floor thereof. Rails 1, 1a are mounted respectively on the wall and fl0or, to support the wheels 8 of the crane bridge 9, having rails (not. shown) for the wheels ID of a trolley II.

tracks 1, by conventional means (not, shown),

and thetrolley II is propelled lengthwise of the bridge by the usual means.

5 fixed to said drive shaft meshing with said gear wheels, means for rotating the drive shaft to turn the driven shafts in opposite directions, rack gear teeth carried by the stem, a pinion secured to the first driven shaft meshing with said rack gear teeth, rack gear teeth carried by the counterweight, a pinion secured to the second driven shaft and meshing with the rack gear teeth carried by the counterweight, the gearing between the drive shaft and the counterweight and the gearing between the drive shaft and the stem being of such relative ratio as to cause the stem to move a greater distance than that of the counterweight during one revolution of the drive shaft.

HARVEY W. BALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 868,736 Washington Oct. 22, 1907 1,098,090 Brower May 26, 1914 1,407,005 Sommer Feb. 21, 1922 1,729,891 Moore Oct. 1, 1929 

